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Completed TRL 2 (started at 1, targeting 3)
Project Objective
Assessing the extensibility and trade space for the use of a ISS Bishop-type Airlock [referred to as Red Knight Airlock (RKA)] capability for Deep Space and Mars Transit exploration.
Project Description
The project establishes the foundation for subsequent project formulation toward Design, Development, Test, & Evaluation (DDT&E) with the longer term goal of a project to deliver a Red Knight Airlock (RKA) flight unit for demonstration and operation. NASA and Nanoracks-Voyager Exploration Systems (VES) team studied the existing Bishop Airlock against the government reference Mars Transit Habitat concept description to understand commonalities and impacts based on a notional concept of operations and Mars mission architecture. The VES team decomposed a set of RKA-specific ground rules and assumptions (GR&As) as well as functional block and context diagrams and a risk register.
Project Results and Conclusions
By focusing on the Moon to Mars (M2M) mission goals, objectives and constraints through the M2M Architecture Definition Document (ADD) and supporting NASA sources, the VES team identified a list of insights and future considerations based on where the analysis closed at the end of the CAN period of performance. A primary open item for future evaluation is the waste and/or payload containment approach for the airlock in addition to identifying the appropriate cleanliness standard with the current assumption of the RKA acting as the habitat's point for EVA egress/ingress.
Deep space airlock capabilities for continued Moon to Mars Architecture development.
Refinement of ESDMD Strategy and Architecture Office's Use Cases and Function database for Lunar and Mars architecture.
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